Electrically powered can opener



Sept. 30, 1958 B. 1.. SMITH EI'AL 2,853,776

ELECTRICALLY POWERED CAN OPENER Filed Feb. 18, 1957 FIGJ.

INVENTORS; BARRY L.'5MITH azonee A. LEHMANN 7 BY T Gal. M4

ATTORNEYS.

2,853,776 Patented Sept. 30, 1958 Fice ELECTRICALLY POWERED CAN OPENERBarry L. Smith, Overland, and George A. Lehmann, Ferguson, Mo.,assignors to The Dazey Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation ofMissouri Application February 18, 1957, Serial No. 640,781

16 Claims. (Cl. 30-4) This invention relates generally to a can openingmachine, and more particularly to improvements in an electricallypowered can opener.

It is a major objective of the present invention to realize a can openerin which the mechanism for moving the feeding wheel into and out ofoperative relation to the cutting element, and the mechanism forrotating the feeding wheel during can opening operation is fullyautomatic and operable by closing a switch to actuate a power means.

Another important object is realized by the provision of a revolvablemeans on the can opener body that serves to move the feeding wheeleccentrically in and out of operative position relative to the cuttingelement, by the attachment of the feeding wheel to the power unit by aninterconnecting shaft, and by the support of the power unit by therevolvable means such that the power unit will be raised and loweredupon actuation of the revolvable means.

Still another important object is achieved by a drive connection betweenthe power unit and the revolvable means that maintains operativeconnection while the power unit is raised and lowered.

Other important advantages are realized by the provision of intermittentdrive means in the above mentioned drive connection between the powerunit and revolvable means which provides an intermittent rotation of therevolvable means in moving the feeding wheel into and out of operativerelation to the cutting element.

' Yet another important object is realized by a guide means between thepower unit and a bracket attached ,to the can opener body whichcooperates with the particular mountingof the power unit on therevolvable means to facilitate up and down movement of the power unit.

Another important object'is realized by the provision of a movableplatform to support the can during lid removal operation, and by theprovision of means to raise and lower the platform selectively incidentto moving the can into operative relation to the cutting and feedingelements.

- Another important object is realized by the provision of a powered canopening machine that is durable in construction and capable of heavyduty operation, economicalin manufacture, and which can be readilymanipulated to open cans of various sizes up to a predetermined sizelimit. 7

The foregoing and numerous other objects and advantages of the inventionwill more clearly appear from the Referring now by characters ofreference to the drawing, the various parts which constitute theoperating mechanism of the can opening machine are mounted on a headmember 10, preferably a metal casting, which member is rigidly securedto the upper end of a square sectioned tubular column 11. A suitablebase and sup port assembly (not shown) is attached to the lower end ofcolumn 11 which can be clamped or fixed by other suitable means to atable or other horizontal support.

Describing now the operating head and particularly the can driving andfeeding mechanism, the head member 10 has a horizontal bore in which isjournalled a revolvable eccentric means including a bearing cylinder 12(Fig. 2). Cylinder 12 has an eccentric bore lined by a bearing sleeve 13in which is joumalled a feed wheel shaft 14. A washer 15 of greaterdiameter than the bearing cylinder 13 seats against the forward end facethereof, the washer 15 being provided with an opening to accommodate thethreaded end portion of the shaft 14, on which portion is mounted aperipherally toothed feeding wheel 16. The outer face of feeding wheel16 lies substantially flush with the vertical front surface of subjacentshoulder 17 formed integrally on head member 10, and with the frontsurface of column 11. Formed integrally with the rear end of bearingcylinder 12 is an annular flange 20 that bears against the rear face ofhead member 10.

The cutting wheel 21 (Fig. 2) has opposite sides which converge to asharp cutting edge. An integral collar or neck portion 22 projectsaxially from the inner side of the wheel and abuts the outer end face ofa plunger member (not shown) to which the cutting wheel 21 is rotativelyattached by means of an axle stud 23. The particular mounting of cuttingwheel 21 and the adjustable means for determining the operative positionof the cutting wheel relative to the feeding wheel 16 is or may beidentical with the assembly shown by U. S. Patent No. 2,361,561 issuedOctober 31, 1944 to W. F. Mueller, et al. In Fig. l, a plug 24 attachedto head member 10 forms a closure for the rear end of a plunger bore andconstitutes an adjustable abutment. As explained fully in the abovementioned patent, the normal spacing of the cutting wheel 21 withrespect to the feeding wheel 16 is determined by the position ofabutment plug 24 which may be rotatively adjusted.

The relative spacing of cutting wheel 21 and feeding wheel 16 is ofimportance when these members are cooperating to open a can. If thespace is too great an irregular ragged cut results, and the flange ofthe can is apt to slip through the space, thus causing the can to becomedetached from the operating members'of the machine. When the inner faceof cutting wheel 16 is too close to the outer face of feeding wheel 16the cutting wheel 21 tends to shear or shave particles of metal from thecan flange, which particles generally and undesirably find their wayinto the contents of the can. A satisfactory spacing of these membershas been found to be approximately twice the thickness of the can metal.

To assure a driving traction of feeding wheel 16 on the rim of the can,there is provided a pair of vertically yieldable pressure feet 25arranged to bear downwardly on the can rim at points circumferentiallybefore and behind cutting wheel 21. These pressure feet 25 consist ofL-shaped members secured by rivets 26 to a movable housing plate 27. Theparticular mounting of housing plate 27 is described in detail in theabove mentioned Mueller Patent No. 2,361,561.

Attached to column 11 by a coacting bolt and wing nut 30 is a bracketstructure 31 including a substantially horizontally disposed platform 32extending rearwardly of column 11.

The power unit consists of an electrical motor 33 the housing of whichis fastened to the casing of a speed reducing gear unit 34. The speedreducing unit 34 and motor 33 constitute a power means for automaticallyrotating feeding wheel 16 as will be later described.

The motor 33 and reduction unit 34 constituting a unitary structure ismounted on an L-shaped bracket 35. A resilient means is used to mountthe power means 33 34 to horizontal bracket portion 36. As is. bestshown in Fig. 2, the resilient means includes a rubber grommet 37 fixedto bracket portion 36 and a T-shaped washer element 40 extendingupwardly through the grommet 37. A screw element 41 extends upwardlythrough washer 40 and grommet 37 and is fixed to the speed-re ducingunit 34, the screw element 41 thus securely fastening the power means3433 to the resilient grommet 37.

The feeding wheel shaft 14 extends rearwardly of hearing cylinder '12and is connected to the gear operated speed-reducing uni't34, the shaft14 being journalled in vertical bracket portion 42 immediately adjacentthe reduction unit 134.

A guide means is provided between bracket 35 and platform 32 to assistin the movement of the .power unit 3334 incident to can openingoperation. The guide means consists of a pair of post elements 43 fixedto bracket portion 36. A pair of cooperating socket structuresare-provided-i-n platform 32 consisting of apertures provided withhearing sleeves 44. The post elements 43 extend throughbea'ring sleeves44 and project below platform 32. "The lower ends of post elements 43are provided with head portions 45 to prevent accidental orunintentional withdrawal of post elements 43 from the 'cooperatingbearing sockets 44.

A drive connection is provided between the power unit 33-34 and therevolvable bearing cylinder 12. This drive connection'includes 'a drivegear 46 fixed to feeding wheel shaft 14 and rotatable therewith, and adriven gear 47 fixed to the revolvable bearing cylinder 12 andrevolvable therewith. An interconnecting means for gears 46 and 47 iscarriedby the L-shaped'support bracket 35. The interconnecting'rneansincludes a stub'shaft 50 fixed to vertical bracket portion 42 andextending. forwardly'below gears 4647. Rotatively mounted on stub shaft50 is a gear 51 that meshes with drive gear 46.

Rotatable with gear 51 is an interrupted-tooth gear 53 thatintermittently'enmeshes with driven gear 47. It, will be apparent thatgears 51 and 53 rotate as a unit on stub shaft-'50, the ge'ars'beingattached by connecting'sleeve 52.

A second bracket 54 is attached to column 11 and extends forwardly ofthe column below the cutting and feeding elements. Mounted-on bracket'54is a movable platform 55 including a 'center post 56 depending through'a compatible socket 57 formed in bracket 54. The mounting of post-56 insocket 57 enables'rotation of platform 55 in addition to at raising andlowering movement.

Attached by screws 61to the under side of bracket 54 is-apair-oflugsspaced on opposite sidesof center post 56 of'the platform 55.

A shaft 62 extends transversely of and is journalled for rotation'inlugs 60, the shaft *62 extending laterally outwardly asis'moreclearlyshown in Fig.1. Attached to the outermost-free end is awheel 63 which can be manually manipulated to raiseandlower platform 55as will be-described. Fixedtoshaft 62 and located between lugs "60immediately below-the lower-endof center post 56 is an eccentric cam 64.Rotation of s'haft62 causes engagement-of the camming surface of cam-64with'center post 56, the cam causing a raising or lowering of suchplatform. t V

:A curvilinear plate structure '65 is attached to the bracket 54 andcooperates with the platform SS tomaintainth'e can shown in dotted linesat 66 in' proper-position on platform 55. "In addition, it will benotedthat platform 'SS is slanted slightly from the horizontal so thatthe upper end of the can 66 is tilted toward the can opener body, thusassuring that the upper rim will be moved into operative positionrelative 'to cutting and feeding wheels 1621 when the can 66 is raisedon platform 55.

It is thought that the operation and functional advan tages of the canopening machine have become fully apparent from the foregoing detaileddescription of parts, but for completeness of disclosure, a step by stepaccount of the lid-removing procedure is hereinafter set forth.

First, the can 66 to be opened is placed on platform 55, and wheel 63 ismanually turned so that cam-.64 .engages the lower end of post 56 andraised platform 55 and can 66 upon rotation of shaft 62. The can 66 ismoved upwardly into operative position relative to the cutting wheel 21.It will be noted at this point that in the at-rest position of themechanism the bearing cylinder 12 is disposed so that the feeding wheel16 is located in its inoperative position, or in other words in itslowermost position.

When can 66 is located in cutting position, the power unit is energizedby closing aswitch 67, the motor 33 acting through speed reduction unit34 to rotate feeding wheel shaft 14. As shaft 14 rotates the drive gear46 meshes with gear 51 which drives interrupted tooth gear '53. Themutilated gear 53 meshes with driven gear 47 and causes a rotation ofbearing cylinder 12 so that the feeding'wheel 16 is raised to itscutting position. When the feeding wheel is raised to this operatingposition,.the mutilated gear 53 -will operatively disengag from drivengear 47, and hence permit feeding wheel 16 to be maintained in thisoperating position for a predetermined length of time. Simultaneously,the feeding wheel '16 is rotated by shaft 14 and causes rotation of can66 incident to removal of the Ed by cutting wheel 21.

The machine is adapted to cut lids from cans of various sizes up to apredetermined size limit, such limit being dependent on the number ofrevolutions of the feeding wheel '16 while the mutilated gear 53' isoperatively disengaged from the driven gear '47. The "gears 53 and 47must be disengaged for a sutficientperiod to permit feeding wheel 16 torotate thecan 66 at least one complete revolution.

After the lid has been removed, the mutilated gear 53 will againoperatively mesh with driven gear 47 and cause further rotation ofbearing cylinder 12', and 'hence cause eccentric movement of feedingwheel 16' to its inoperative or lower position. When the feeding wheel-16 is *located in this inoperative position-the power unit isdeenergized by opening of the operating switch 67. 'Upon deenergization,the feeding wheel 16 will stop rotating and the bearing cylinder 12 willbe'located so that the feeding wheel '16 will be located inits lowermostposition ready for the next can opening operation.

Then, the wheel 63 may be rotated so that the cam 64 will permitlowering of platform 55, and hence allow removal of the can 66.

It will be particularly noted that during this can opening operationwhile the bearing cylinder 12 is rotated, the entire power unitincluding the drive connections will be raised and lowered therewithsince this structure is supported by the 'revolvablemeans. During thisraising and lowering movement of the power unit, the guide meansconstituted by posts 43 and sockets 44 .will guide the power unit duringsuch movement. Since the interconnecting means of gears 51 and 53 ishated to and carried by .the supporting bracket member 35 of the powerunit, an operative connection between the power unit and therevolvable-tmeans will 'be maintained ,at all times.

Although the invention has beendescribed by making:detailedrreferenceito .a single preferred embodiment such netajlisto-be understood in an instructive,:rather than in any restrictivesense, many variants beingpossible within thescope of theclaims1hereunto appended.

We claim as our invention:

1. A canopening machine comprising a body, a cutting element on saidbody, a feeding wheel rotatively mounted on said body, revolvable meanson said body for permitting eccentric movement of the feeding wheel intoand out of operative relation with said cutting element, a platform onsaid body, a power unit including a shaft connected to said feedingwheel for rotation of said wheel, and guide means between said powerunit and said platform for permitting relative movement incident to sucheccentric movement.

2. A can opening machine comprising a body, a cutting element on saidbody, a feeding wheel rotatively mounted on said body, revolvable meanson said body for permitting eccentric movement of the feeding Wheel intoand out of operative relation with said cutting element, a platform onsaid body, and a power unit including a shaft connected to said feedingwheel for rotation of said wheel, the power unit being supported by saidrevolvable means.

3. The combination and arrangement of elements as set forth above inclaim 2, but further characterized by the provision of drive meansinterconnecting the power unit and said revolvable means for eccentricmovement of the feeding wheel.

4. A can opening machine comprising a body, a cutting element on saidbody, a feeding wheel rotatively mounted on said body, revolvable meanson said body for permitting eccentric movement of the feeding wheel intoand out of operative relation with said cutting wheel, a platform onsaid body, a power unit including a shaft connected to said feed wheelfor rotation of said Wheel, the power unit being supported by saidrevolvable means, drive means interconnecting the power unit and saidrevolvable means for eccentric movement of said feeding wheel, and guidemeans between the power unit and said platform for assisting relativemovement incident to such eccentric movement.

5. A can opening machine comprising a body, a cutting element on saidbody, a feeding wheel rotatively mounted on said body, revolvable meanson said body for permitting eccentric movement of the feeding wheel intoand out of operative relation with said cutting element, a platform onsaid body, a power unit including a shaft connected to said feedingwheel for rotation of said wheel, drive means interconnecting the powerunit and said revolvable means for eccentric movement of said feedingwheel, a support member attached to said power unit, and guide meansbetween the support member and said platform for permitting relativemovement incident to such eccentric movement.

6. A can opening machine comprising a body, a cutting element on saidbody, a feeding wheel rotatively mounted on said body, revolvable meanson said body for permitting eccentric movement of the feeding wheel intoand out of operative relation with said cutting element, a platform onsaid body, a power unit including a shaft connected to said feedingwheel for rotation of said wheel, a drive connection between the powerunit and said revolvable means including a drive element cairied on andoperated by the power unit and a driven element attached to therevolvable means, and guide means between the power unit and saidplatform for assisting relative movement incident to eccentric movementof the feeding wheel upon rotation of said revolvable means by saiddrive connection.

7. A can opening machine comprising a body, a cutting element on saidbody, a feeding wheel rotatively mounted on said body, revolvable meanson said body for permitting eccentric movement of the feeding wheel intoand out of operative relation with said cutting element, a platform onsaid body, a power unit including a shaft connected to said feedingwheel for rotation of said wheel, the power unit being supported by saidrevolvable means, a drive element connected to the power unit, a

driven element connected to said revolvable means, and meansinterconnecting the said drive and driven element so that saidrevolvable means is actuated upon actuation of the power unit, and guidemeans between said power unit and said platform for assisting relativeraising and lowering movement of said power unit upon eccentric movementof the feeding wheel.

8. The combination and arrangement of elements as recited above in claim7, but further characterized in that the means interconnecting the saiddriveelement and driven element is attached to and carried by the powerunit so as to maintain operative connection between the power unit andrevolvable means upon raising and lowering movement of said power unit.

9. A can opening machine comprising a body, a cutting element on saidbody, a feeding wheel rotatively mounted on said body, revolvable meanson said body for permitting eccentric movement of the feeding wheel intoand out of operative relation with said cutting element, a platform onsaid body, a power unit including a shaft connected to said feedingwheel for rotation of said wheel, a drive connection between the powerunit and the re volvable means including an interrupted tooth gear and acoacting gear intermittently meshing to provide an intermittent rotationof the revolvable means, and guide means between said power unit andsaid platform for assisting relative raising and lowering movement ofthe power unit incident to the eccentric movement of said feeding wheel.

10. A can opening machine comprising a body, a cutting element on thebody, a feeding wheel rotatively mounted on said body, a revolvablemeans on said body for permitting eccentric movement of the feedingwheel into and out of operative relation with said cutting element, aplatform on said body, a power unit including a shaft connected to saidfeeding wheel for rotation of said wheel, a drive element connected tothe power unit, a driven gear fixed to the revolvable means, and meansinterconnecting the said drive element and said driven gear including aninterrupted tooth gear intermittently enmeshing with the driven gear torotate intermittently the revolvable means, the interconnecting meansbeing attached to and carried by the power unit, and guide means betweensaid power unit and said platform for assisting relative movementincident to eccentric movement of the feeding wheel.

11. A can opening machine comprising a body, a cutting element on saidbody, a feeding wheel rotatively mounted on said body, revolvable meanson said body for permitting eccentric movement of the feeding Wheel intoand out of operative relation with said cutting element, a platform onsaid body, a power unit including a shaft connected to said feedingwheel for rotation of said wheel, the power unit being supported by saidrevolvable means, a support member attached to said power unit, a drivegear fixed to the shaft of said power unit, a driven gear fixed to therevolvable means, an interconnecting gear mechanism carried by thesupport member including a stub shaft, a gear rotatable on the stubshaft and meshing with'the drive gear, an interrupted tooth gear on thestub shaft and rotatable with the other gear on said stub shaft, theinterrupted tooth gear intermittently enmeshing with the driven gear torotate intermittently the revolvable means, and guide means between thesupport member and platform for assisting relative raising and loweringmovement of the power unit upon eccentric movement of the feeding wheelincident to rotation of the revolvable means.

12. A can opening machine comprising a body, a cutting element on saidbody, a feeding wheel rotatively mounted on said body, revolvable meanson said body for permitting eccentric movement of the feeding wheel intoand out of operative relation with said cutting element, a platformmember on said body, a power unit including a shaft connected to saidfeeding wheel for rotation of said twheel,-the:.power unit beingsupported by said revolvable .means, a :supportsmernberattaehed to saidpower unit, i'sli'deelements carried byjonerof saidmembers, the slideelementsengaging;thelother said member to guide the power unitduringlraisingsandlowering movement upon :rotation of. said ;'I?X01V3b16means.

13. The combination .and arrangement ofelements as recited above .inclaim 12, :but further characterized by :the provision ,of drive meansinterconnecting the .power :unit and said revolvable means for eccentricmovement of said feeding wheel, the drive means including meansv-carriedz'by {the support member toienable operable connection of thedrive means with the .-power unit and revolvable means duringraising andlowering of the power -unit upon rotation of:the revolvable means.

14. A can opening machine comprising a body, a cutting element on thebody, a .feeding wheel rotatively mounted on said body, revolvable meanson said body .for permitting eccentric movement of the feeding wheel.into and outtof operative relation with said cutting element, aplatform member on said body, a power unit includinga shaft connected tosaid feeding wheel for rotation of said wheel, drive meansinterconnecting the ,power unit and said revolvable means for eccentricmovement of said feeding wheel, a support member attached to said powerunit, ,poshelements attached to one of said members, thetother member'being'provided with apertures .adapted ;to receive said post elementsto guide'the .power unit during raising and lowering movement uponrotation -of the revolvable means.

15,. The combinationandarrangement of elements as recited above in claim14, but sfurt h'er characterized in thattherdrive connection-iirreludesa pair:ofmeshing gears one of which .is :provided with interrupteditooth rformations itoprovidean intermittent rotation of the revolvablemeans.

v16. A eanropening machine comprising a body, a cutting element Eon said'body, a .feeding' :wheel lrotatively mounted :on said body,revolva'blameans :on said-body for permittingteccen licmovement of ithefeeding wheel into and out ofioperativeerelationwith said cutting;element',:a

' platform on said body, a power unit including a shaft connectedto'said feeding -.,wheel1for :rotationr-ofssaid wheel, thepower unit{being supported by said revolvable means, a support member attached tosaidpower unit, .a {drive gear fixed to the ,power ';unit shaft, vadriven :gear ffixed to the 'revolvable means, a gear assembly -;carriedby said support member and including a stub ishaft, a ifirst :gear onsaid shaft andymeshingwith the drive :gear, :an interrupted tooth ,gear-on :the stub shaft and :rotatable with said first gear, the interruptedtooth gearenmeshi'ng' with the'driven' gear to;provi,de an intermittentrotation of said revolvable :means, post elements :fixed to said supportmember, the platform :being provided with apertured sockets to receivethe postelements and .guide the power unit during raising and loweringmovementupon rotation of gthe vrevolvable (means.

234-1522 lager r May 11, 1948

